Here, I blog about everything motherhood, my life as an LEO wife, how I can find any excuse to throw a party and the rest of my crunchy life!

Taking it back to my babysitting days.

I started as a status update and I couldn’t stop writing so here we are! I read a post by mom.me tonight about how “babysitters should clean kitchen” and it took me back to my babysitting days. I was 10 when I started babysitting for the two little boys next door. I vaguely remember having a conversation with my mom when I started babysitting about cleaning up before the rents got back. It started at $10/hr and was mostly when their mom was home. Once I learned their routines, it became more and more frequent. Their mom always ordered pizza for us before they left so I was only responsible for the few dishes I made. Aside from playing, I fed them, bathed them, got them in jammies and put them to bed.

At age 13, I started regularly sitting for another family not to far from our house, that mom mentioned to me early on, how once she didn’t ask a sitter to come back because she never did the dishes. I never forgot that and always made sure they were done. There were 3 active, silly, incredibly fun kids in this home. Two boys and a girl.On the very first day I babysat for them, I went outside to try to get their Bernese Mountain dog back in before it got dark, and the boys locked me out of the house. I’d walk around to a different door and they’d lock it. Every single door. (They had 5 doors) I tried to talk my way into the house for 15 minutes. Now, there were no cell phones then so I couldn’t even call my mom for backup. Finally, the little sister started to freak out, screaming and crying and they let me back in because they couldn’t stand it any longer. Another time I was there, I arrived during nap fine, mom on her way to work. I checked on the babes multiple times (as i was always terrified something would happen on my watch). Well, this time, the older brother had woken up and come downstairs so I went to check on the little brother. He was gone. Not in his bed, not in his room. GONE. Writing this, I am reliving exactly how my heart stopped that day. I searched everywhere! Under his bed, the closet, every room in the house, I went outside- screaming his name. I triple checked his bedroom- even looked in the dresser! It finally got to the point where I was in tears, my mom was on her way over and I had to call their mom to tell her her son vanished. I went back up to his room and just stood in the doorway. Where the hell did this kid go?! As I went over every possible way she was going to kill me, I heard light little breathing coming from somewhere close. I got on my hands and knees, I moved the bed and bam! There here was. He has fallen between his bed and the wall and his sheets had created a hammock so he unable to see!!! Poor thing never even knew the craziness that was taking place in that house while he was suspended in the air on the side of his bed.
I always cleaned up the kitchen and whatever messes the kids made while I was there. Except one time,(here’s my last flashback)we were playing their favorite game of running all around the house and I’d chase them, hide in random spots, jumping out to scare them as they laughed hysterically, when the worst moment of my babysitting days happened. The youngest (only girl) stopped where she was right in the middle of the kitchen. Frozen in place, she let out the most ear piercing blood curdling scream and threw up all over the four. Again and again. Needless to say, I called my mom and she raced over to help. I bathed the poor sickly poo while she cleaned puke! love you, Mom!

During highschool, I had a regular Saturday night sitting job for years for the same family (thank you E)! 🙂 They had the best behaved boy and girl and the best snacks. Isn’t it true that once the kids went to bed, you watched the “bad shows” on TV and pigged out on whatever was in their cupboards? I totally did!!

As a parent, we’ve only ever had family watch the boys so far and like this article states, “you get what you pay for”. When you don’t pay family, you’ll come home to the bomb you once called a play room. I do have to say both my mother and mother in law have done the dishes while sitting but they never seem to be able to locate the laundry pile….. I may have to bring it downstairs next time.
My kids come first so if I leave dishes in the sink, I don’t expect the sitter to go nuts. Except if my baby is in the sink… they have to clean him!

I do think the toys/playroom should be clean when we get home.
That’s not to much to ask, is it?
Oh how the tables have turned and I’m the mom deciding who to ask back!